5.  The applicant was born in 1977 and lives in Taraclia.
6.  On 14 February 2003 the applicant was arrested at his home by masked and armed police officers, who allegedly tortured him until he confessed to several crimes of theft and robbery.
7.  The applicant lodged a complaint of ill-treatment by the police and asked the prosecutor's office to investigate. On 28 February 2004 his complaint was dismissed as unfounded by the Chişinău chief of police. The applicant challenged that decision before the prosecutor's office. On 11 August 2005 a prosecutor from the Chişinău prosecutor's office decided not to initiate criminal proceedings against the police officers, finding that there was no evidence of the applicant's ill-treatment or of any other unlawful act. The applicant challenged that decision before the investigating judge, who decided to forward it to the trial court for examination as part of the criminal proceedings against the applicant.
8.  On 8 June 2005 the applicant was convicted by Rîşcani District Court. That conviction was upheld by the Chişinău Court of Appeal on 27 October 2005 and the Supreme Court of Justice on 15 March 2006. On 6 October 2008 the Supreme Court of Justice allowed an extraordinary appeal (recurs în anulare) by the applicant, but only in respect of reducing his sentence in accordance with a new law that was more favourable to him.
9.  On 19 March 2003 the applicant was transferred to Chişinău Prison no. 13. Between 16 April and 2 November 2006 he was treated at the Pruncul prison hospital. He was then transferred to Soroca Prison no. 6, where he served the rest of his sentence.
10.  The applicant made a number of complaints to the authorities that the conditions of his detention were inhuman. He received numerous replies from the Ministry of Justice, the Prosecutor General's Office and Parliament. Many of these replies noted that he had been found to be “healthy for all practical purposes” and not in need of medical assistance. Some of the letters also noted that, due to insufficient funding of the prison system, detainees were not provided with bed linen, and food was available in less than the minimum prescribed quantities. In a letter of 10 August 2004 the Prosecutor General's Office informed the applicant that it was aware that cell no. 24 in which he was detained was overcrowded and that not all its inmates had a bed and bed linen. The prison authorities were asked to remedy the situation. In a letter of 5 November 2004 the Ministry of Justice informed a group of nine detainees, including the applicant, that medical assistance was available when needed and that only minor repairs could be made to the cells, due to lack of funds; the Ministry was aware of the problems in ensuring the proper functioning of the prison system, and was taking all necessary measures to improve the situation. The Minister added that no detainees suffering from tuberculosis were being held in the nearby cell 24A. In April 2006 the applicant was diagnosed with tuberculosis.
11.  In a letter to the Parliament dated 4 May 2004 the applicant complained that the cells in the prison were overcrowded, damp and full of parasitic insects. He also complained of a lack of legal information in the prison. This letter was forwarded to the Prison Department of the Ministry of Justice. In its reply of 8 June 2004 the Ministry acknowledged that the prison lacked legal information, and confirmed that after 7 April 2003 the applicant had been treated for piodermia and scabies. It also noted that the applicant was detained in a cell with fourteen beds and fifteen detainees.
12.  In response to a complaint by the applicant on 14 February 2007, on 1 March 2007 the Ministry of Justice informed the applicant that under the applicable rules all detainees were provided with the minimum acceptable quantities of food. However, due to lack of funding, such items as meat, fish or dairy products were provided “within the limits of available funds”. Moreover, products such as eggs, butter and milk would be included on the menu in the near future.
On the basis of a doctor's prescription, increased quantities of food could be provided to detainees who were ill. On 14 June 2008 the applicant made another complaint that the rules on food to be served were being violated and asking for a transfer to the prison hospital because of his worsening state of health. It appears that he was not transferred to the hospital.
13.  According to the documents submitted by the Government, the applicant was treated on a regular basis by various doctors when the need arose, as well as on a preventive basis. On 10 and 17 February and 28 March 2005 he refused to have X-ray examinations. When he did have such an examination, on 15 April 2006, he was diagnosed with tuberculosis and admitted to the Pruncul Prison Hospital. He received DOTS treatment there until 1 November 2006, when he was released – subject to a one-year period of supervision – after full recovery from his illness.
14.  The relevant provisions of domestic law have been set out in Ostrovar v. Moldova, no. 35207/03, 13 September 2005; Sarban v. Moldova, no. 3456/05, 4 October 2005; and Becciev v. Moldova, no. 9190/03, 4 October 2005.